No Tramp Stamps Allowed!

So everyone that's going on the trip with us came over last night so we can lock down as much as we can. Scott has a training class Tuesday morning so we'll be leaving as soon as possible after he's done which we're hoping is as early as 10ish but could be as late as 12:00. We'll head to Taylorville for dinner instead of lunch and then after that head towards Mississippi, don't remember the town name but I guess it's a casino town. Scott says it's the Las Vegas of the South. We shall see. Or maybe not, depending on how everyone is feeling we may skip it and head straight down to New Orleans. But if we do go then we'll probably get a room so we can rest for a bit before heading back out on the road.

We've got our hotel rooms booked and we voted on some of the things each of us want to do. One is an airboat swamp tour that everyone wants to do. I looked into those, they're not cheap, I don't remember them being that much when HDT and I took one several years ago. But then, it was before Katrina hit so it's been several years and a disaster since, so who knows what that did for inflation. But the Oak Alley tour is only $15.00 so that's still a good bargain. None of them have ever been to a plantation home. Oh wait, I take that back, HDT and I went to one that is in a neighboring town of Gonzales - where I lived off and on for 6 years. But it's nowhere near as nice as Oak Alley. He and I are definitely going to that, not sure if the others will go.

We all also want to go to at least one of the cemeteries. HDT and I went to one during one of our first trips there way back in 1996 or '97 (damn, 15 years we've been together, wow) and we really liked it. We went exploring on our own then but I think it'd be nice to take an actual tour. We shall see on that one though. You learn a lot with tours but I like to do things on my own time too and that's not so compatible with tours.

And of course everyone wants to enjoy the music and booze on and around Bourbon Street. That'll be done on most nights I'm sure, if not on all of them. So yeah, as Scott said last night, I don't mind being a cliche. He said that in response to the Natchez steamboat ride. It's nice, we've done it a couple times, but as HDT said it's a cliche to do. But then, it's a tourist town so pretty much what isn't a cliche to do?

One thing that HDT and I always do, every single time we go, is get our first meal at Crescent City Brewhouse. We went there on our very first trip back in November 1995 and have gone there for our first meal ever since. We told everyone that we'll have to do that again this time but they'll all like it. Not only for the food but the beer, they're all beer drinkers unlike HDT and I. So that's lost on us but that's ok, they have other drinks we like.

HDT swears he's gonna get another tattoo while we're there. He has a couple fleurs-de-lis on his left arm. Says he wants to get something else on his right, but maybe another fleur-de-lis. He's been given a name of a guy/place to go to, says he's gonna call to see if he can schedule an appointment. I think it's a bit much but whatever.

After everyone left last night he found on some website that there's going to be a parade to kick off the NFL season. It's going to be 5:00 to 7:00 starting in the French Quarter. He had originally said how he wanted us at the Superdome early, maybe as early as noon. But now he's not so sure. We're thinking we may try to be where the parade is going to kick off and watch it for awhile and then start heading to the dome. Depending on traffic we may even try to get a cab to get there quicker than what walking would do. It's not far but it'll still take awhile to get there and kick off is at 7:30 and he wants time to be able to go to the gift shop before hand.

Our tickets/seats, if we're looking at the pictures correctly, are in the very top row on the Saints side. Wow, we've never been so high before, but that's the cheapest we could find and they were still almost $300.00. But no matter what it'll be worth it just to be there!!


One week and 4 days!!

Media quote of the day:

Ah, the tramp stamp. My bread and butter. So I'm guessing that the real story involves a bad breakup and some booze? Unless that's a gang tattoo, in which case I think it's time to find a new gang. - Dr Stella Zinman - How I Met Your Mother (HDT better not booze up enough to get a tramp stamp! Especially since Scott would egg him on to do so!!)